Featurecast Story 17 - IM via the Desk mobile app

Featurecast Story 17 - IM via the Desk mobile app

IM'ing (Instant Messaging) Feature Story Series 

Featurecast Story 17 - IM via the Desk mobile app

Carry your support desk wherever you go! 



We're delighted to introduce you to our Zoho Desk's IM mobile software development kit (SDK). Zoho Desk is the first app to integrate the instant messaging SDK.

These days, comprehensive mobile app development means there are apps for just about everything: shopping, travel, fitness, gaming, entertainment, and much more. There are also many business apps to support productivity, planning, and communication. There are multiple factors that have contributed to the growing popularity of mobile apps, including convenience, the growth of broadband network availability, and the increasing power of mobile devices.

It's also important to realize that apps are so popular because they empower people to take control of their lives and manage their work more effectively. Let me illustrate this with a short story.

Mobile apps empower business users

Once upon a time, a busy professional named Kia had many tasks to complete every day. She found it challenging to keep track of everything and often felt burned out at the end of the day. One day, she discovered a mobile app that promised to simplify her life and make things easier.

At first, Kia was hesitant to use the app. She wondered whether setting it up and learning how to use it would be worth her time and effort. But eventually, she decided to try it, and she was pleasantly surprised by how helpful it was.

The app allowed her to track her tickets, set reminders for important tasks, and manage her activities. As she continued to use the mobile app, Kia found that it saved her a lot of time and stress. She no longer had to worry as much about deadlines because she felt more organized and in control of her life.

At Zoho Desk, we love to make it easier for people to succeed at work! So, if you're like Kia and feel overwhelmed by your daily job, why not try the IM mobile SDK for your business communication needs?

Integrated messaging boosts mobile app development

Technology must constantly evolve to maintain a modern appearance and keep up with changes in users' requirements. That's why we've provided the SDK with access to the IM features on your Desk mobile apps.
 
We have introduced the easy click-to-send option, enabling you to send templates through the Desk mobile app.
 
You can seamlessly integrate your favorite messaging apps, such as WhatsApp, Telegram, LINE, WeChat and Facebook Messenger with Zoho Desk. You can also choose templates and send them to your mobile device's preferred platform.

Desk's IM mobile SDK offers advantages for customer support

Real-time communication

Instant messaging allows rapid communication between customers and support agents, leading to quicker issue resolution and improved customer satisfaction.

Convenience

Customers can access support anytime using their mobile devices, allowing them to get assistance without waiting on hold or sending emails.

Multimedia support

Many messaging apps support multimedia content such as images, videos, and documents. This enables customers to easily share screenshots or videos of their issues, which can help support agents understand and resolve problems more effectively.

Chat history

Messaging apps often maintain chat histories, allowing customers and support agents to refer to previous conversations. This can help track the team's progress toward resolving issues or enable them to review past solutions to similar problems.

Multiple conversations

Support agents can simultaneously handle multiple customer inquiries through instant messaging, increasing efficiency and reducing customer wait times.

Notifications

Instant messaging apps can send notifications to users, alerting them when a support agent responds to their message. This ensures that customers stay informed and engaged throughout the support process.

Integration

Many instant messaging apps integrate with other business tools and systems, such as CRM software or help desk platforms. This streamlines support agents' work and enables better customer interaction management.

Let's review IM SDK features 

Sessions view

The sessions view will list the chat sessions and show the available options for switching between conversation views and integrated channels. Users can also apply status-based filters.

Conversation view

The conversation view shows all the conversations in that chat session with a clean in-and-out message bubble UI. You can also perform chat-specific actions, such as ending a chat, reopening chat sessions, and blocking or unblocking chats. The compose-message view also supports canned messages and pre-approved template messages. By typing the hotkey "#," you can invoke the saved canned messages from your library.

Themes and fonts

You can choose brand colors and fonts in light or dark themes.

Settings

Set the date and time format, the default contact image type, and your contact avatar or the first letter of your name.

Options

You can control the contacts' names, messages in a conversation, URL handling, attachment selection, and presentation style.

Push notifications

The client apps can receive push notifications.

Privacy

Our mobile SDK was developed with a focus on ensuring privacy and data protection. Any data that is of concern is sent to the client app via the error listeners and direct callbacks.

Database encryption

Database encryption is functional in Android and iOS.

Benefits of using the mobile SDK

    •    Facilitating teams' communication and productivity
    •    Remaining "top of mind" with customers
    •    Ensuring ease of use
    •    Capturing data

I hope you found this story helpful. Start using the IM SDK via the Desk mobile apps to accelerate your business communications and provide comprehensive support to your customers.

There's more to come, so please watch this space for more IM feature stories.
 
Until next time,


Kavya Rao
The Zoho Desk Team

    Access your files securely from anywhere









                          Zoho Developer Community




                                                • Desk Community Learning Series


                                                • Digest


                                                • Functions


                                                • Meetups


                                                • Kbase


                                                • Resources


                                                • Glossary


                                                • Desk Marketplace


                                                • MVP Corner


                                                • Word of the Day


                                                • Ask the Experts



                                                          • Sticky Posts

                                                          • Register for Zoho Desk Beta Community

                                                            With the start of the year, we have decided to take a small step in making the life of our customers a little easier. We now have easy access to all our upcoming features and a faster way to request for beta access. We open betas for some of our features
                                                          • Share your Zoho Desk story with us!

                                                            Tell us how you use Zoho Desk for your business and inspire others with your story. Be it a simple workflow rule that helps you navigate complex processes or a macro that saves your team a lot of time; share it here and help the community learn and grow with shared knowledge. 
                                                          • Tip #1: Learn to pick the right channels

                                                            Mail, live chat, telephony, social media, web forms—there are so many support channels out there. Trying to pick the right channels to offer your customers can get pretty confusing. Emails are most useful when the customer wants to put things on record. However, escalated or complicated issues should not be resolved over email because it's slow and impersonal.  When you need immediate responses, live chat is more suitable. It's also quick and convenient, so it's the go-to channel for small issues. 
                                                          • Welcome to Zoho Desk Community - Say hello here!

                                                            Hello everyone! Though we have been here for a while, it’s time to formally establish the Zoho Desk Community; we’re really happy to have you all here! This can be the place where you take a moment to introduce yourself to the rest of the community. We’d love to hear all about you, what you do, what company or industry you work for, how you use Zoho Desk and anything else that you will like to share! Here’s a little about me. I am Chinmayee. I have been associated with Zoho since 2014. I joined here
                                                          • Webinar 1: Blueprint for Customer Service

                                                            With the launch of a host of new features in Zoho Desk, we thought it’ll be great to have a few webinars to help our customers make the most of them. We’re starting off with our most talked about feature, Blueprint in Zoho Desk. You can register for the Blueprint webinar here: The webinar will be delivered by our in-house product experts. This is a good opportunity to ask questions to our experts and understand how Blueprint can help you automate your service processes. We look forward to seeing


                                                          Manage your brands on social media



                                                                Zoho TeamInbox Resources



                                                                    Zoho CRM Plus Resources

                                                                      Zoho Books Resources


                                                                        Zoho Subscriptions Resources

                                                                          Zoho Projects Resources


                                                                            Zoho Sprints Resources


                                                                              Qntrl Resources


                                                                                Zoho Creator Resources



                                                                                    Zoho CRM Resources

                                                                                    • CRM Community Learning Series

                                                                                      CRM Community Learning Series


                                                                                    • Kaizen

                                                                                      Kaizen

                                                                                    • Functions

                                                                                      Functions

                                                                                    • Meetups

                                                                                      Meetups

                                                                                    • Kbase

                                                                                      Kbase

                                                                                    • Resources

                                                                                      Resources

                                                                                    • Digest

                                                                                      Digest

                                                                                    • CRM Marketplace

                                                                                      CRM Marketplace

                                                                                    • MVP Corner

                                                                                      MVP Corner







                                                                                        Design. Discuss. Deliver.

                                                                                        Create visually engaging stories with Zoho Show.

                                                                                        Get Started Now


                                                                                          Zoho Show Resources

                                                                                            Zoho Writer

                                                                                            Get Started. Write Away!

                                                                                            Writer is a powerful online word processor, designed for collaborative work.

                                                                                              Zoho CRM コンテンツ






                                                                                                Nederlandse Hulpbronnen


                                                                                                    ご検討中の方







                                                                                                            • Recent Topics

                                                                                                            • GitLab Extension for Zoho Desk: Connecting support and development for faster resolutions

                                                                                                              Hello everyone! We’re excited to introduce the GitLab Extension for Zoho Desk, an integration that bridges the gap between support and development teams. This allows tickets to be converted into actionable GitLab issues for faster resolutions, better
                                                                                                            • Download Google Drive Shared Image/File Using Deluge – Complete Guide

                                                                                                              Download Google Drive Shared Image/File Using Deluge – Complete Guide When working with Google Drive share links inside Deluge, many developers face a common challenge: 👉 How can we download a Google Drive file directly using Deluge? This article explains
                                                                                                            • How to update Acuity appointment fields from Zoho Flow?

                                                                                                              Hi, I need help with Zoho Flow → Acuity Scheduling integration. What I’m doing Appointment created in Acuity Zoho Flow creates a Zoho Calendar event I want to send the Zoho Calendar Event UID back into Acuity (into a custom form field) This is so that
                                                                                                            • Error due to - 'Internal Exception' when uploading Sign-generated PDF file to workdrive via Deluge in Zoho CRM

                                                                                                              Hi I wasnt getting this error a few days ago and my code had not changed, so I'm wondering if there's a Zoho bug somewhere? I am downloading a PDF file from a Zoho Sign url using invokeurl and then uploading it to a Workdrive folder using zoho.workdrive.uploadFile.
                                                                                                            • When will Zoho Learn be able to support SCORM files on the mobile app?

                                                                                                              When I click the SCORM content, I just get a message saying it's not possible yet. Yet implies that it will be coming soon. All I'm asking for is a realistic timeline so I know whether or not to invest my time in using it. If it will be soon, then I will
                                                                                                            • No horizontal scroll bar in reports

                                                                                                              Hi support team, I created a pivot table report which contains many columns (in my application about 15). The problem is that there is no bottom scroll bar to display colums that does not fit within the browser page. I saw that it was possible to resize colums, but colums sizes are not saved within the session. So could you add scroll bar, and eventually make colums sizes stored in the user session ? Best regards,
                                                                                                            • Zoho Map integration tasks have changed - you need to "Locate all instances of Zoho Map integration tasks in your Deluge scripts by searching for the v1 marker... before 16 January 2026"

                                                                                                              Details of an issue specific to Zoho CRM + Deluge Functions (originally posted in this forum) can be found here: https://help.zoho.com/portal/en/community/topic/zoho-map-integration-tasks-have-changed-you-need-to-locate-all-instances-of-zoho-map-integration-tasks-in-your-deluge-scripts-by-searching-for-the-v1-marker
                                                                                                            • filter broke my data

                                                                                                              I uploaded a file recently from Sheets and it has top 2 rows frozen, with table headers in second row and each one is filterable. somehow my first 2 columns became unfiltered and no matter what I do I cannot reapply the filter?? also didn't realize they
                                                                                                            • Request to remove domain "greentechcoatings.vn" from previous Zoho account

                                                                                                              Hello Zoho Support, I would like to register the domain "greentechcoatings.vn" in my new Zoho Mail account, but I receive the message "This domain is already associated with another account". Please remove the domain from any previous/unknown account
                                                                                                            • Trigger actions in third-party apps using Zoho Flow

                                                                                                              Greetings, I hope you're all doing well. We're excited to share an enhancement to Bigin's workflow capabilities. Zoho Flow Actions are now available in Bigin, enabling you to automate tasks across third-party applications directly from your workflow and
                                                                                                            • Enroll, Script, Win: Hackathon 2025!

                                                                                                              Hello CRM Developers! Are you ready to create some magic with Client Script, Widgets and Functions in Zoho CRM? Let’s make Hackathon 2025 an unforgettable adventure! The Zoho Developer Community Hackathon 2025 is here, and it’s your time to shine! REGISTER
                                                                                                            • Zoho Help Desk - Not receiving emails

                                                                                                              Hello… I am on your trial version of help desk… and I am having trouble getting emails from Zoho Help Desk to my MS Outlook Exchange Server… So when a customer sends ticket request I am not getting an email with a notification? I have read your articles
                                                                                                            • Almost all Flows are being queued

                                                                                                              A few days ago I saw one of my Flows status was Queued. This was the first time this had ever happened. Now, almost every Flow that triggers is Queued for at least a few minutes. If I re-trigger the Flow (which causes separate problems) they sometimes
                                                                                                            • Employment Contract / HRMS Documents - Zoho People

                                                                                                              How do I create customized HR documents for disbursal from Zoho People ? Example, say offer letters ? appointment letters ? Memos ? We want to be able to preset these in one or ther other form and issue them to employees who are in Zoho People.
                                                                                                            • Send Zoho Forms Link using Zoho CRM Email Templates

                                                                                                              I have set up Zoho Forms and CRM integration to pre-populate data from Zoho CRM to Zoho Forms. The setup is working fine. I have also created an email template in the Zoho CRM deals module to send Zoho forms links. So when I send an email using that template
                                                                                                            • Live webinar: Craft and deliver impactful slides with Show’s desktop apps

                                                                                                              If you love the comfort of working on your desktop and want a setup that keeps you focused and uninterrupted, this session is made for you. We’re excited to invite you to our upcoming live webinar: "Craft and deliver impactful slides with Show's desktop
                                                                                                            • Enhancements to Bigin's forms

                                                                                                              Greetings, I hope all of you are doing well. We're happy to announce a few recent enhancements we've made to Bigin's forms. We'll go over each one in detail. Merge field support in auto-filled forms The auto-fill option in Bigin's forms lets you predefine
                                                                                                            • Table dimensions

                                                                                                              I try changing the dimensions of the table on my computer but it doesn't change. Do I have to be a premium member or does it only work on the app?
                                                                                                            • Direct link to Record Summary

                                                                                                              Hi everyone, In one of my reports, I have built a Record Summary template to display the details of one record. I would like to be able to link directly to this Record Summary once I submit a new record, without having to go to the list of records first and click on View. Is there a possibility to do so ?  Should I use the URL by passing some parameters ? Thank you very much for your help ! Guillaume
                                                                                                            • Amendment effective date

                                                                                                              Hi everyone, I noticed that the amendment effective date mentionned in my amendment is not right. Indeed, when a contract is amended several times, it states the previous amendment and their effective date. However, the effective date stated is always
                                                                                                            • STOCK history in zohosheets

                                                                                                              is it possible to get historical stock value using stock function in zoho sheets? i could not see from and to period in the helper document.
                                                                                                            • Auto sync Photo storage

                                                                                                              Hello I am new to Zoho Workdrive and was wondering if the is a way of automatically syncing photos on my Android phone to my workdrive as want to move away from Google? Thanks
                                                                                                            • Zoho Desk Training

                                                                                                              Hello, We've had Zoho desk for a while now, but we run into issues occasionally, and I was wondering if there was a customer who currently uses it and really enjoys the functionality, that would be wiling to chat with us?
                                                                                                            • Introducing parent-child ticketing in Zoho Desk [Early access]

                                                                                                              Hello Zoho Desk users! We have introduced the parent-child ticketing system to help customer service teams ensure efficient resolution of issues involving multiple, related tickets. You can now combine repetitive and interconnected tickets into parent-child
                                                                                                            • Text/SMS With Zoho Desk

                                                                                                              Hi Guys- Considering using SMS to get faster responses from customers that we are helping.  Have a bunch of questions; 1) Which provider is better ClickaTell or Screen Magic.  Screen Magic seems easier to setup, but appears to be 2x as expensive for United States.  I cannot find the sender id for Clickatell to even complete the configuration. 2) Can customer's reply to text messages?  If so are responses linked back to the zoho ticket?  If not, how are you handling this, a simple "DO NOT REPLY" as
                                                                                                            • Agent password reset

                                                                                                              Hi Zoho support, I would like to ask if there is a way the admin can reset a password of an agent? Regards
                                                                                                            • Can receive but not send messages in Zoho Mail

                                                                                                              Hello! I was able to configure my email client successfully in that I can receive messages just fine. However, when I send messages out, they seem to go out fine (I don't receive any errors or anything), but the recipient does NOT receive those messages.
                                                                                                            • Mail is sent twice!

                                                                                                              Been using Zoho for a while now. Installed Zoho for someone else and some weird things are happening. Mails are being sent twice. He is using Thunderbird as an email client. I already read about email being duplicated in the sent folder. But in my case
                                                                                                            • Can't login IMAP suddenly

                                                                                                              Since this evening I'm getting the error: You are yet to enable IMAP for your account. Please contact your administrator... IMAP always been enabled in my account and was workign fine for the past 7 years. Already tried turning IMAP off and on again.
                                                                                                            • Sending of username did not succeed: Mail server pop.zoho.com responded: User already specified

                                                                                                              I am having issues receiving emails from Zoho in Thunderbird. I am getting the above error. The first error tells me Authentication failed, and prompts me to enter in my password. Then I get the above error. I can receive emails when I log in online to
                                                                                                            • Bug tracking

                                                                                                              Hi, does anyone know how to track errors during picking or packing? This way I can keep track and see how to improve and prevent errors in this area.
                                                                                                            • Exact match in name when searching workdrive

                                                                                                              Hello, I am wondering how to search workdrive files/folders with an exact match in the name. For example, when I search across folder with the url param search[name]=someName, I get multiple results such as "someName", "someNameAndMore", or "someName
                                                                                                            • Flow - Fetch info from drop down in another module

                                                                                                              I am running into a road block which I thought would be a simple task. My goal - The account is assigned to a "route" which can be selected from a drop down menu and adds a tag to the account accordingly (easy enough). Now when I create a task for this
                                                                                                            • Migration of corporate mail environment from Yandex 360 to Zoho mail

                                                                                                              I have to migrate a corporate mail environment with an existing domain from Yandex 360 to Zoho mail. It is vital to migrate all users with all the data. I have read the article on this topic using MacMister Email Backup Software just now and have some
                                                                                                            • I'm unable to send mail pthrough Zoho SMTP programmatically

                                                                                                              This has been working for years, but today it's been offline all day long. I see nothing anywhere on your site about this. I'm not the only one experiencing this. Downdetector has a spike of reports today
                                                                                                            • Can no longer send email via Django site

                                                                                                              This was working fine as of 11/7/25. Now I am unable to send user verification emails from a Django site on a AWS lightsail sever. When a user attempts to register the following error occurs. I have also attempted to send a test email via the shell and
                                                                                                            • unable to send email but able to receive email

                                                                                                              my email address is info@securityforceservices.ca
                                                                                                            • Custom Field for Subscription

                                                                                                              Hi, I can't find a way to add a custom field (to contain a license key generated from our software) against a subscription? Is the only place to add this information in the Invoice module (as custom field for invoice)? When a customer views his subscription via the customer portal, there appears no way to display a license key for them? The invoice is not the natural place to store a license key for a particular subscription, so where else can this be stored and displayed?
                                                                                                            • Login to server failing

                                                                                                              When trying to retrieve my mail, I am getting this error message -- Login to server pop.zoho.com with username (my email address) failed. It gives me the option to retry, enter password, or cancel. Then I get this message -- Sending of username did not
                                                                                                            • Configuration failed: 200 response not received for POST request.

                                                                                                              Hello, I am trying to set up a webhook to connect with an Salesforce but I receive the following error from Zoho: Configuration failed: 200 response not received for POST request I have tried testing it on webhook.site as well and receive the same error
                                                                                                            • Next Page